Wa Kingyo
by RoseRedXCI
Summary: A girl born in Rukongai, but unknowingly of noble blood, is taken into Seireitei and trained to become a Shinigami. There is a plot, even if the summary doesn't imply so. Maybe Shu/OC. We'll find out as I progress further in this story! o
1. Chapter One

**-Chapter One-**

**[In the depths of Seireitei]**

In the depths of the night sky, light panting and scurried footsteps could be heard around the perimeter of the Kaneshiro Manor. A woman, young and slim and dressed in servant garb carrying a pouch, with barely a bulge protruding from her belly. Yes. She was carrying a child, but not any child, but the bastard child of Kaneshiro Hideyoshi, the son and heir of the noble house of Kaneshiro. And a mere servant was fleeing from the prosecution of the house. Assassins were sent to dispatch of the servant and the unborn child. The young woman by the name of Kaoru threw glances every which way; making sure no one was following her. She heard shuffling all around her. "Where is he?!? I need to get out of here fast!" Just when she was about to reach the gate, a shrouded figure appeared before her. "Wha- what do you want?!" she stuttered. The panic grew inside of her.

The assassin drew his blade. He snarled through the mask, "To dispose of you and that bastard you have inside of you." Kaoru fell back, paralyzed with fear. He stopped mere centimeters from her face, his blade ready to pierce through her gut. She was sobbing now, afraid for her life and the life she was carrying.

"Please! Let us go! W-we mean no-no harm!" she bawled, "I-I swear I w-will not speak of th-this to anyone." She calmed down to small whimpers now that the assassin had pulled away. An assassin, who thought this was immoral: to take the life of an innocent. What to do? Was he to follow his duty or his morals?

"GO!" he roared. "Go, before I find you again!" Kaoru hastily got to her feet and ran, ran for her life to get out of Seireitei.

* * *

**[Just outside Seireitei, in the 1st District of West Rukongai]**

Several hours having wandered around Seireitei to find a way out, Kaoru finally found a hole through which she could crawl to the other side of the great barrier. Free at last, Kaoru stopped by the riverbed. Panting and out of energy to go any further, laid down, her head resting on the pouch, which was filled with what little belongings she had in the mansion. She was lucky she was able to find a way out of the mansion through the underground waterways. Those were a challenge in itself, but she had managed to escape but not long after did the Kaneshiros's head assassin, Kuroi, chase after her. But when he had her cornered, he hadn't stopped her from escaping? Why? Was he not the heartless rogue that they knew of? Had he let others go before her? She certainly had not had the answer, and she definitely hadn't had the time to contemplate the inner workings of an assassin.

As the night evanesced, for dawn to overcome it, Kaoru found herself tired, no, exhausted, so drained of energy, one could barely sense her reiatsu, however little she had in the first place. Resting an arm on a nearby tree, Kaoru leaned in to catch her breath. It was almost Day, and she hadn't slept a wink the day before planning on the "Great Escape". Too enervated to continue on foot any longer, everything was blurred in her vision and before she knew it, she had collapsed onto the dewy ground.

**-Chapter One [FIN]-**

**A/N: Hoped you enjoyed it, I welcome any comments, questions, and criticisms so feel free to ask. You'll see some Shinigami appear soon, so hold yer horses!**

**Oh and the little Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way, shape or form! ^o^**


	2. Chapter Two

**-Chapter Two-**

**[At The Kingyo Rice Porridge Restaurant]**

Kaoru awoke with a startle. Her forehead and thin undershirt were soaked with cold sweat. Had she been having a nightmare this whole time? She took in her surroundings. The room was surprisingly plain, just matted flooring, shoji doors. She had been sleeping in a futon, but was now making her way, albeit a bit light headed. When she had made it to the door via grasping onto anything she could, a small elderly woman with a tender look on her face and a hunched back, slid open the door and walked with a tray in her arms.

"I see that you are awake, sweetie." The old woman situated the table that had been sitting in the corner into the center of the room so she could place the tray. She then made her way back to help Kaoru, who had already made up her mind to tremble on back, to her cushion. Once there, the elderly woman made to feed her the rice porridge. Other dishes she had along with the rice porridge: umeboshi and fried eggs. Kaoru made to stop the woman, but the elder insisted that she eat her fill. Sometime in between spoonfuls, the elderly woman said, "Everyone here calls me oba-chan." The old woman whose name was actually Kaede, was the owner's wife, thus also the owner, of the famed "Kingyo" fish porridge shop in the 1st District of West Rukongai. The actual owner was Oda Ieyasu, but everyone calls him Saka-jii, saka short for sakana, Grandpa Fish. Saka-jii goes fishing with Oba-chan at daybreak by the river in the meadow in order to stock up for the hectic day in the district. Departed souls and Shinigami alike go to "Kingyo", named kingyo for the big two goldfish, one black and the other gold, that Jii-san keeps.

Once Kaoru's energy replenished she helped Oba-chan gather up the dirty dishes on the tray and followed her to the on the first floor. When Oba-chan made to wash to the dishes, Kaoru intervened, insisting that she do her share of work to repay the old couple who took her in. "It's alright, sweetheart, we are the ones who found you and chose to take you into our home. Aside from that, I have not had to take care of anyone in a long time. It is quite a nice change." Oba-chan looked up at Kaoru with a smile laden with reminiscence of her past.

"Oba-chan…" Kaoru embraced the old woman. Oba-chan, surprised at the gesture, froze in her spot, but seconds later embraced the girl also.

"I see that you are with child, my dear." Kaoru became rigid. "It's alright. I will not ask of your past, but my husband and I are willing to let you stay with us. We do not mind the company."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, so much!" Kaoru furthered squeezed the poor woman till she was purple in the face.

Amidst their embrace, one could hear the thump of wooden buckets being placed on the ground, and water swishing back and forth. Saka-jii had come home from that morning's trip to the river. He hadn't gone with Oba-chan in tow, so that she could care for the patient in their home.

"I see you have awoken." He looked at the girl and gave her a wrinkled, toothless smile; well not entirely toothless. Saka-jii was missing his two front teeth at the top, which made him look a little gauche, but his speech spoke otherwise. Although his appearance gave off an awkward feeling, he was the kindest man anyone would, or could ever meet. Like Oba-chan, he wasn't as tall as Kaoru and hunched over. His clothes had patches of discolored clothes at his knees, which one could assume that his wife had mended for him.

"Yes, she has, Dear. Kaoru, here, will stay with us." Saka-jii looked at her through his squinted eyes, as though implying, "Why, Dear?" Oba-chan scurried over to his side and whispered into his ear, "She is with child." And Saka-jii's eyes widened.

As the couple had lost their daughter and grandchild in the fire many years back, they were happy to have another, and one so similar to their late daughter, in their house. Another helping hand would be wonders for business, and ease on the old joints whose rests have been long over due.

"We will treat you as if you were our won daughter, so do not worry yourself."

Kaoru was elated. For once in her life she had something she could almost call a family, even if they didn't know her. They hadn't probed into her past, which she was grateful for, and they had taken her in. Something she'd thought she had with the young master of the house. Here, she could start afresh, with a new and better life. A life that she could call her own.

**Chapter Two [FIN]**

**A/N:** Is it all right to write an author's note at the end? Okay, so here was the second chapter. And to all my reviewers, thank you, and to those who added me on their alerts thank you also. I love the support. And if you have any input, comments, suggestions, please, please say so. I need all the help I can get. I'm trying to develop a smooth and flowing writing style, which I have a problem with sometimes, so bear with me! Oh and I know these are short, but I can't write a lot, sorry. I'm trying to pull them longer, but I feel as though there would be too much unnecessary information and get confusing for you and me. Hopefully, you'll be seeing the next chapter soon, which I introduce our main character!!! YAY!


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